What a difference 203 days make. Six-and-a-half months to be precise. Having spent 10 months in Chad during 2013/14
I am heading back! Let me tell you about
my last 29 weeks and bring you up to date with the life of Claire.
I landed back in the UK on 19th March 2014. Back to the land of green, spoken English,
tarred roads without (a lot of) potholes and cool weather. Cue catching up with friends, keeping up with
friends in Chad, debrief at the BMS head office and eating the foods I missed
the most: strawberries and cheese (not
together!). This was swiftly followed by
more interviews at BMS headquarters, as I had felt God calling me to longer
term mission work whilst I was in Chad.
By the time my career break officially ended and I resumed my job in
Torquay on 14th April, I had had a second interview for long term
mission work with BMS, medical and psychological checks to make sure I was
fit-for-purpose and the final BMS interview for long term work was in the
pipeline.
Resuming work was strange.
Having been out of the NHS for a year, there was a lot to catch up
on. I regaled colleagues with tales of
different pharmacy practices in Chad, helping us all realise that some things
we concern ourselves with here in the UK pale into insignificance, when compared
with the challenges of practising pharmacy in a developing country. I threw myself back into my job and enjoyed
working with my colleagues again.
However I always knew that I wouldn’t be back there very long.
At the beginning of May I had my final interview with BMS
and was accepted for training as a long term mission worker. The aim would be to return to the hospital at
Guinebor II in Chad after nine months of training.
So, after having been back at work for a month, I gave in my
resignation. I had only just moved back
into my flat in Torquay and was enjoying having ‘my space’ back again. However it was only temporary and I am
learning to be able to adapt to the nomadic lifestyle that long term mission
work entails.
So, in the space of 6.5 months / 29 weeks / 203 days, I have
- landed in the UK
- been through 4 interviews
- restarted my job
- moved back into my flat
- resigned from my job
- moved out of my flat
.......and now find myself living the furthest north I ever
have lived in the world – Birmingham!
My training as a long term mission worker at BMS’s
International Mission Centre (IMC) in Birmingham started on 8th September
and continues until mid May 2015.
 |
| IMC |
I live
and study at IMC, learning about a wide range of topics that will prepare me
for my future life overseas that starts mid May 2015. It’s definitely a challenge to learn and
discuss theology (amongst other things), when I’m so used the slightly more
black-and-white, structured nature of scientific learning, but I’m enjoying it!
